Hollow Miracles
by Kamukura
Summary: Kurobasu Hollow!AU. A lone Hollow wanders the lifeless desert plains of Hueco Mundo, in search of someone who can withstand their overly strong presence. The search is short and fruitless, with death left behind in their path, trailing them like miasma. To satiate their ever growing solitude, the Hollow "splits" into two persons with shocks of blue hair...
1. Primera: Birth

**A/N:** So...this is my first time writing (and posting) a fan fic. This is also the first time I've written a story for an alternate universe.

I noted that there weren't any AUs for Bleach. So voila. Unbeta'd

Disclaimer: POV switches from first person to third person after the second page break. You'll know why when you get there. Also T for nakedness and killing. I don't know how this rating system works imsosorry

Copyright of characters goes to their respective owner

* * *

An excruciating pain.

A dark sky.

A feeling of loss.

Those three were most distinct in my first memories.

At the beginning, I had rose and walked, in all directions, _any_ direction, with no clear destination in mind.

I could not tell if I was going in circles or treading on a path that lead to infinity. Either way, I didn't much care.

Soon I had encountered others, who I had called "friends". They told me of what this place of endless darkness was called.

"Hueco Mundo," they said. It meant "Hollow World". It was fitting for a lifeless shadowed desert.

Wandering in groups, we observed others like us "hollows" interact. Unlike us, the outsiders had engaged in violence and tore at each other's unique figures, consuming their masked brethren.

I had not understood. Were our "friends" supposed to act like so?

"No, no, we're special!" they had gushed. There was still doubt, but I had believed them. After all, they were our "friends".

We had continued on, even as little by little, our "friends" breathed for the last time.

* * *

"-vives is deemed the strongest!"

"Hoorah!"

"Shut up, you idiot! **It** might hear us..." an unknown hissed.

"But it doesn't know any better though. Like a newborn."

"Like a newborn, but with immense power."

"Do ya' think it was born like that?" one commented.

"There can be no way it could have," a third piped in.

"It's dim in the head, so it's alright to assume it wouldn't know if it was already dead, right?" another perked up.

"Once we consume more of the weaker **it** has unconsciously killed, only then will we have it as our meal. We will ascend from Adjuchas to the top class," the apparent one in charge bit out. "The Vasto Lorde."

What were these classes? They all had spoke of "Adjuchas" so thus I was one too? Who would they consume next? What did "dim" mean?

From their discussion, they had planned on eating one stronger than they were.

Ah, but I didn't care, as long as my "friends" accompanied me. If they wished to be stronger I could only comply as their friend. I had trotted back to the carved rock where my "friends" had told me to nap on, leaving my "friends" to their whispered conversation.

"...just make sure you keep your distance, or you will die," the head Adjucha warned, unheard by **it**.

* * *

Eventually, all of my first "friends" had died.

Observing our "friends" mingle with one another, I decided to test out how it felt. Reaching out to a nearby "friend" I had merely touched them with a finger.

He had screamed and shouted, watching as the spot of contact disintegrated and spread throughout his spiked body.

He had died immediately. How strange, why only then did I realize our "friends" had dwindled in number, as if this sudden death had opened my "eyes".

My "friends" had fled immediately, and I had observed from afar the slaughter of our "friends" as they massacred their allies to be the strongest. They had finished each other off.

And no outside parties had interfered.

This memory was most memorable as the circumstances were the first and last unique cause of death for my "friends".

The deaths of following "friends" were all the same. My presence overwhelmed each of them, and soon they sensed the aura of death that trailed behind me, following me like miasma. None had bothered to befriend me, only aiming to devour.

Corpses had piled up like mountains, and eventually I got used to the smell of rot. All of this I observed through empty eyes, absorbing all I had seen, remembering everything and forgetting nothing.

There were more "foes" than "friends" and I was overcome with desolation. It was a foreign and painful feeling.

_Why, why is it that I bring death to those I hope to become close with?_

_I am lonely. Someone save me from this depthless feeling of solitude_...

* * *

"Oi, did you just split off from my body?"

"Likewise," a monotonous voice replied.

"Tch. Whatever."

The larger, darker of the two newly halved beings reached for a torn rag amongst the surrounding corpses. Wrapping it around his tan waist, he peered at the smaller figure crouched on the sand. Its appearance was strange, as the small Hollow was shaped with pale flesh and no unique features but for the signature Hollow hole in the center of its torso. The larger regarded the attached horned helmet it bore on its head, with the left eye covered. The slighter one's light hair was most fascinating, as their previous one entity had never seen a color so vibrant in this dreary world. What was the color again? It resembled something Hueco Mundo did not have...

_Sky._

That couldn't be right. After all, this sky was complete darkness. _No, it wasn't this expanse of lifeless emptiness; the _sky_, the one of another more beautiful world._

"I would like to see it someday..." he murmured. He suddenly took notice that the one with the sky-colored hair was staring at him. _Its eye is the same too. _

"What is it, small one?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I was wondering...what I should call you, dark one," it inquired, a question apparent in its visible eye, though, emotionless its face stayed.

"Call me? I think our 'friends' each had one of their own, back when we were one person," he recalled. "Gyah, what was the word? I'm having difficulty remembering."

"I am certain it is called a 'name'. It was used to identify one's self and allow others to identify them," it explained in the same quiet tone of voice.

"How does one decide on such a thing?" This level of thinking was not suited for the larger one.

Pausing, most likely to skim through memories, it slowly gave an uncertain answer, "It was not explained, but I assume that the decision on a name would come from something of their liking."

Something of their liking, is it? He was just born what would he have liked from these few moments he was just split in two? Searching for something of interest, his eyes eventually landed on the slighter one's _blue_ hair. He had made his decision.

"I will be named...Aomine," he announced, hoping to allow the still crouched Hollow to know the reason behind it.

"After the color of your hair, I presume, Aomine-kun?" it asked. _My hair is also blue, huh? I must appear vain in this Hollow's eyes._

"Nah, I just took a liking to the sound of it. Also, your hair is also blue, weak one."

"I am male, same as you," he deadpanned. "Do not assume I am weak merely because of my appearance, Aomine-kun."

"I told you, my name is Aomine."

"Of course, Aomine-kun."

"Well, just call me whatever. It's your turn now, little one," he insisted. "Who are you?"

Aomine had asked the wrong question. '_What is your name?'_ he meant to say.

The eye of clear blue had turned back to gaze at the sand, where his shadow and Aomine's crossed each other. Several moments passed, the helmeted naked boy still sitting and Aomine towering above him. Then he finally spoke, glancing back up at Aomine, voice laced with certainty.

"I am...Kuroko."

Breaking into a bright smile, Aomine slapped Kuroko on his back and threw a rag over the boy Hollow. "Kuroko, that's great! But if you're going to stick with me, you need to be fully clothed. Isn't that right, partner?"

"Ah, yes," Kuroko agreed, wrapping the rag cloak around his pale shoulders. He couldn't have said anything other than yes. He considered Aomine's tan figure, his smile still imprinted in his mind.

_How dazzling this person's smile is. _Though he appeared opposite of "bright" he seemed to be filled with light, something he knew he was not...He couldn't allow this pure person to experience what was brewing inside of him. After all, he was probably the one that allowed Kuroko to "exist".

_I will protect Aomine-kun's beautiful soul from these dark feelings I now keep hidden in this body._

_That is the reason for my existence, certainly._

_I want it to be._

* * *

A/N cont'd:

I thought of the Espadas in Bleach, how they were ranked in terms of power with numbers. Though I had intended to write one where the characters' crossover Espada powers and numbers corresponded with their jersey numbers, it kind of evolved into this...

Anyway, Hollows are "hollow" and eat "things" to fill up what's missing (most of the time). Aomine and Kuroko are still Hollows/Vasto Lorde at this point of the story, not actual Espadas (yet).

And if I publish another chapter or oneshot, I would like someone to Beta it, since I don't trust myself to proofread it thoroughly. PM me if you are able to.


	2. Primera: Name

**A/N:**

Chapter 2 of Hollow Miracles: Primera- Name (first name)

Crossover (fan)art of my favorite series is the next best thing after canon genderbend of my favorite characters (Gintama anyone?) From the direction of this chapter, I'll be continuing Aomine and Kuroko's story as Hollows. At a later time, I will introduce the MiraGen and others once I conclude these two's stories.

Disclaimer: Copyright goes to their respective owner(s)

* * *

Aomine was leisurely walking along side his companion Kuroko, with Hueco Mundo's only moon and source of light illuminated behind them. They were silent, as Kuroko was characteristically quiet and Aomine deep in thought as they paused to rest on top of a dune.

"Hey, Kuroko, I've been thinking..." Aomine started.

"That's not good, Aomine-kun. You might break something," the smaller Hollow interrupted, expression turning into a small mix of mock worry and teasing.

"Oi, I'm serious this time!" he argued. "Anyway, do you remember the tentacled Hollow, Sakurai Ryou?"

Searching his memories for the name, he finally found one of such a person. The Hollow was small and similarly shaped like them, but was still larger than Kuroko. Of course. As all Hollows were known to have, he had a "mask", which consisted of a small row of teeth, which was placed on the left side of his head.

He was easy to remember. Sakurai was one of the rare Hollows that had continued to live, even when meeting the blue haired pair. His most distinct (and admittedly over used) habit made him stand out, as a person who apologized profusely for anything and nothing. When he apologized, his tentacles would come out and wriggle as a physical display of his anxiety. It was refreshing, seeing someone other than Aomine so energetic.

"Sakurai Ryou, the anxious Hollow who left us to save himself?" Kuroko asked.

"...Yeah, that one," Aomine confirmed, remembering Sakurai's parting words.

* * *

"_I'm so sorry Aomine-san, Kuroko-san; I have to leave you two. If I don't, I think I might die! I'm so sorry; please forgive me in the next life you can kill me then! I'll even let you, I'm that pathetic..." _

With those last pleading words, he had sped off, all the while apologizing with repeated "I'm sorry"s. His tentacles had curled in on themselves in guilt and regret, and he had disappeared from the two's surprised eyes.

* * *

"I think he made the right decision. Leaving us, I mean. I didn't plan on killing him though," Aomine commented, thoughtfully. "In this life or the next, I wouldn't dare."

"Yes, though he acted weak, he was only following his instincts to survive. Eventually, he too would have perished along with our previous companions," Kuroko reasoned, face crestfallen.

Peering at Kuroko's shadowed face, Aomine placed a large hand atop his fellow Hollow's helmeted head, "Kuroko, don't make such an expression. Just be glad that he's well and living somewhere in this barren place."

"I know, but I can't help feeling the loss after he left," remembering something, he placed Aomine's tan hand off his head to face him. "Also, why did you bring up Sakurai-san?"

"Oh, yeah! Haven't you wondered why the past few Hollows we've met had two names, like 'Sakurai Ryou'? What's up with that?" he asked, confused. What would be the point in having two? Isn't that hard to remember?

"Ah, I asked Momoi-san this once, before she left for her long journey across Hueco Mundo," Kuroko mentioned. "In her quest for knowledge, she discovered many of the more intelligent Adjuchas had two names."

* * *

"_Kuroko-kun, you want to find something out from me? I'll be glad to help! Here sit on my back._

_Huh? Why do some Hollows have two names? Well, from my data, most of the smarter Hollows have two._

_Apparently, they remember fragments of their human memories when they start evolving from Gillian to Adjuchas. _

_The naming system for humans is that names are given by the people who give birth to them. The name consisted of two parts, family name first and personal name second. I hear that in parts of the living world it's the other way around. But I prefer to use last/first. _

_I remembered mine when I evolved too! It's a rare case, to remember your whole name. Some Hollows just base theirs off of what they remember._

_But I think Kuroko-kun and Ao-chan forgot because you were originally one person. You two are special!"_

* * *

"That is what Momoi-san told me," he finished.

"Ugh, that Satsuki, it's AOMINE, not 'Ao-chan,'" Aomine exclaimed. "Anyway, how about we name each other? We don't know who the original was, and you could say we gave birth to each other."

"Aomine-kun that is an image I would rather not picture," the smaller stated, slightly cringing at the already forming image. "But I agree."

"Satsuki can be useful sometimes. I admit I may be special but I think she just wanted an excuse to tell you out loud," he smirked. She took every chance to praise her beloved Kuroko.

"Momoi-san would kick you with her hind legs if she heard you," Kuroko reminded.

Momoi Satsuki was a Hollow in the form of a centaur hybrid, a female humanoid from her torso up and a four-legged hoofed animal below her waist. In their time together, Kuroko was allowed to sit on her back, because he couldn't stand to physically strain himself for long distances. She was always delighted when he accepted her offers. Momoi would also attempt to kick Aomine if he even dared to sneak onto her. Half the time, she would miss her mark. Only half the time, though.

Aomine flinched at the reminder. The places where her hooves had hit his body tingled at the memories. Those times, he had wanted to know what it was like to ride a horse. He had heard of it from Momoi herself.

"_But I'm not a horse, idiot Ao-chan! Only Kuroko-kun can...r-ride me..."_

She had blushed at what she said, thinking of something more suggestive. Are all girls as obsessive as Satsuki? It looked like a pain, having to be infatuated with someone. He wasn't sure if Kuroko was aware of her crush and decided to stay quiet or was just oblivious. Aomine could never tell what the smaller Hollow was thinking behind his emotionless mask. It was unnerving sometimes, but that's who he was. If Kuroko didn't want to talk, he had to accept it.

"So can I name you, Kuroko? I have an idea of one for you," he asked, eager to name his companion.

"Certainly, Aomine-kun."

"Hmm. A perfect name for you...would be Tetsuya. It's kind of long, so I'll stick to calling you Tetsu."

Kuroko was not a person to relate with weakness. He always persisted in walking along with Aomine, trying to be strong for him when another friend had died. He himself was sad for their deaths, but he constantly reminded his tan companion that somewhere out there are Hollows that were stronger than they. There was still hope. His resolve was as strong as the human world substance iron, Aomine thought.

_Kuroko Tetsuya._ It had a comfortable feeling to it. Kuroko could picture himself saying this name to others like them.

Suddenly, he remembered what Momoi had said after informing him about first and last names.

* * *

"_Also, Kuroko-kun! From various sources, I heard in a certain island country in the human world that speaking the personal name of someone would cause feelings of closeness. _

_If it's said by someone you don't know it will be uncomfortable and offensive. But if it's said by someone you like, or have romantic feelings for, it will give them feelings of happiness. _

_It is a strange custom, to have such feelings just because of a name. It sounds nice._

Her voice had dropped to a low murmur, so that Kuroko had to lean in to only catch bits of what she was saying.

_I hope one day you will call me 'Satsuki', like that big idiot Ao-chan. _

'Of course' he had assured her, as Kuroko would eventually resort to calling her by her name as they got closer, following Aomine's example. It was probably his imagination thinking Momoi had a slight pink tint to her cheeks after she relayed her thoughts on the name customs. He had also missed the last of what she had uttered, going to where a certain navy haired "idiot" was napping to wake him up, for their rest period had ended.

___"It will be different coming from you though. _I wouldn't mind listening to you say my name."

* * *

He wanted to test out this theory. Can one name really cause such feelings to a person? Kuroko liked Aomine, so he was the perfect person to help test it out.

"Aomine-kun, what did you call me? I'm afraid I did not hear the first part," he pretended to have not heard him.

"What was your mind somewhere else?" Aomine was slightly surprised. Kuroko was always focused and observant. They _had_ been walking for a while, so fatigue would probably have made him listless. "Fine. I'll repeat your new name." He took a deep breath, to declare Kuroko's name loud and clear for him to hear.

"Tetsuya."

Kuroko blinked. He was prepared to feel something, but what he felt right then was peculiar. It was not the feeling Momoi had once described as "love", which would make your liked/loved person the only person you saw. "Tetsuya" sounded right, coming from Aomine. What he felt, at that moment...was gratitude, or something akin to it. He guessed the name theory was incorrect.

"Thank you, Aomine-kun," he whispered. "I will treasure it, this name you have given me. Definitely."

Scratching himself behind his head, Aomine smugly replied, "Well, of course, Tetsu. I hope you can think one up for me too?" He was anxious to hear what his friend would think up for him.

"Naming Aomine-kun will be easy," Kuroko admitted. "Your new first name will be 'Daiki'."

After the brightness of the moon? The only thing that shined here was Hueco Mundo's moon that never rose or fell.

"Aomine Daiki," he drawled. He repeated it several more times, until Kuroko instructed him to stop.

"Since it's from Tetsu, I'll treasure it also!" Aomine vowed. "Do you think Satsuki would stop calling me 'Ao-chan' from now on, if we ever meet her again?"

"Knowing her quirk, Momoi-san will resort to calling you something along the lines of 'Dai-chan'."

"You're right, she would. Ah, Tetsu? Will you be calling me 'Daiki' anytime soon? Since it's Tetsu, you would say something proper like 'Daiki-kun'," Aomine questioned, genuinely curious. It seemed he had not heard of the name custom of the human world island country.

Standing to brush off the sand on his cloak, Kuroko answered with a small smile that reached his one sky colored eye, "Aomine-kun is Aomine-kun."

So he wasn't going to change a thing. The Kuroko today was different from other days. First, he completely wasn't paying attention to Aomine speaking, and now he transformed from his poker face to smiling?

On second thought, he had never seen Kuroko smile in their time together. Small, may it be, but it was a nice change to see on his partner's usually stoic face. Aomine mentally promised he would get Kuroko to laugh and smile more often. He hoped for bright things to happen in their near future.

It was all he could do, hope. For himself and Kuroko.

* * *

_Where? _

_Where was he? _

_Where was Tetsu?_

_Tetsu?_

_What were these dark things that towered to the sky?_

_What were those writhing shadows he saw in the corner of his eyes?_

_Tetsu?_

_Those writhing shadows are looking toward him. They're not shadows at all._

_They are as tall as the surroundings, almost touching the ceiling._

But Hueco Mundo did not have a solid ceiling.

_Where was he? Was he still in Hueco Mundo?_

_And why, oh why, was he _alone?

* * *

A/N cont'd:

This little portion at the end is a small preview of the next chapter. Can you guess what happened? Where _is_ he?

So this chapter was basically explaining how they got their names. I've always wondered how the Arrancars and Hollows came up with them. It wasn't exactly explained, Kubo?

I only introduced minor characters, Sakurai and Momoi, because I would like to think that the Espada never met before meeting a certain glasses mastermind (with exception to Harribel and Barraggan). They met strong Hollows such as them, but they aren't exactly Espada material (discarded Espada per se).

I paired Sakarai with Luppi, because I think that Luppi's Resurreccion's name fits well with Sakurai. "_Strangle_."

Momoi as Nel because I figured Harribel was too serious of a character to be paired with a cute Momoi. (Someone else, a certain blond will be taking Harribel's place as Tres, hint hint.)

I have a clear idea who will be who as the story progresses. You can make guesses on which character match a specific Espada in a review. I would love to see your theories/guesses.


	3. Primera: Discovery (pt 1)

A/N: I'm so sorry for not updating for so long. I've been busy with school and other things so here you go! You'll have to wait for the second part, once I actually get to writing it...

Disclaimer: Copyright belongs to their respective owners.

* * *

_Aomine ran across a space filled with blinding lights, shoes squeaking on the polished floor. An indistinct noise roared from all directions, a sound he later recognized as spectators cheering in a crowd._

_There were opponents around him, but he surpassed them easily. He only had eyes for what was across the space. He had to put it in there, whatever _it_ was. But right now Aomine didn't have it in his possession. Someone only needed to pass it to him then he could—_

"Aomine-kun."

_The whispered voice sounded monotonous and clearly male._

"Did you forget the reason why you exist right now as you are?"

_That didn't matter. What was important right now was getting_ _the_ _unnamed_ thing_ in the basket._

"I can tell you the reason why you remain here, in this time and space."

_Could he really? Did he know him from somewhere?_

"Yes, really, Aomine-kun." _Ignoring his second question, a dim figure emerged from the dark, one eye glowing the color of chipped ice. The shadow took a step out into the light, revealing a pale uniformed boy; face still shadowed partway, he had his right hand outstretched toward Aomine. Within that pale hand materialized a round orange object. _

_The one blue orb glanced down at the object and back to him, gesturing with his eye to take it._

_Seeing it sparked an emotion inside of Aomine, and he reached for the strange item, only to pass through it and the boy into the darkness which the mysterious person came from. He fell into blackness, but not before seeing the boy's lips form a pair of words._

"...unto death, Aomine-kun. We never really had the chance to—"

* * *

Aomine woke with a start, immediately wincing at the dull ache that was pulsing near his collar bone where his Hollow hole was located. What was he dreaming about? It was something important, he knew, but this feeling...

It all came back in a rush. Kuroko.

The pain hurt even more knowing he was without him. Without his Tetsu.

He recalled the events before he fainted from exhaustion, the dark deed he had done in panic of discovering he was alone.

How could he tell him what he's done? What he's done with these very hands to—to _kill_.

He had unintentionally slaughtered potential friends. How ashamed the pacifist Kuroko would think of Aomine.

The navy haired Hollow didn't remember much when he and Kuroko were one, but he definitely recognized the agony he felt waking up as a Hollow. Momoi would say that he had recognized the accompanied pain of evolving. The technical stuff she spoke of didn't matter to him. The only word that gave him alarm was "evolving".

Aomine couldn't be evolving, could he? He couldn't. He shouldn't!

If he evolved even further, then there would be no hope searching for comrades. No one Hollow would be stronger than he was. Over time, the tanner Hollow had noticed though Kuroko was his other part, he was much weaker. This evolving should be happening to his best friend, not him. But somehow, the more he thought about it, his horn-helmed companion was able to stay within Aomine's much denser reiatsu, most likely due to their former unity.

Thinking of unity, he needed to be reunited with Kuroko soon. He didn't know how long the smaller Hollow would survive alone in a forest of colossal mindless predators.

_It's precisely because you _killed _on purpose that you're evolving Ahomine,_ a sinister voice interrupted.

_Can't you see? You could unconsciously kill your precious Tetsu too._

_You, yourself, are the same as those hateful predators—_

Aomine quickly shoved the black thoughts back to the recesses of his head. At times when he was away from the pale boy-Hollow, his mind would wander in a negative direction, and such thoughts would surface. He would practically run back to his companion, _companions_ if they were with Momoi, and they would be surprised at his unusual behavior. For the horned Hollow, a miniscule widening of his sky blue eye would confirm his surprise, and for the female centaur Adjucha, a nagging comment on how fast his usually sloth self moved.

If the navy-haired Hollow could find Kuroko, then he would feel normal again. Staying near him put Aomine at ease for some reason, but he felt relieved. He always assumed the reason was the comfort of being in the presence of someone you cared for.

He then recalled a conversation he had with the one eyed Hollow, at a time before they had met Sakurai and Momoi and still had one name.

* * *

"_Being together is much more satisfying than being alone, is it not Aomine-kun?"_

"_Is it? To be honest, I don't mind being alone," _Aomine had quickly responded, startled by his companion's sudden question. They had been walking for some time and he heeded Kuroko didn't feel like making conversation yet. Though, he still hadn't adjusted to his quiet presence and strange questions.

"_Is that so...," _Kuroko had murmured with a raised eyebrow. Aomine had noticed the slight change of tone in his monotonous voice, as if he didn't believe him. The smaller was right to not believe his words, but he didn't want to have Kuroko believe that Aomine needed to depend or be with someone like a child to his mother.

He didn't want to be viewed as weak to his only friend.

"_Then, you would not mind if I had vanished from your side at this moment?"_

Aomine paused. His large tan hands were frozen behind his dark blue head where before they were interlocked casually. Now, they were clenching and unclenching, and he soon let them fall helplessly at his side. Kuroko had a talent of asking testy questions he would rather not answer, but did anyway. Their silence could last for days.

This time, Aomine could detect the multiple questions implied into one simple question. It was Kuroko's way of saving energy and words. Like him, the tanner Hollow had a way of answering them in a simple way too, but with more consideration to his answer.

"_You don't care enough about me?" _

Of course he cared.

"_Do you really want to be alone again?"_

Sure.

"_You're lying aren't you?"_

...Yeah.

"_Do you want me to be alone too?"_

No. That he couldn't bear. He himself could bear it, the solitude.

But Kuroko...he wasn't physically strong enough to withstand it. However he imagined his small friend on his own, he would see the worst situation occurring.

Kuroko's lone fragile figure wandering the desert dunes, falling down from fatigue, no one by his side to help him up, struggling to his knees, collapsing from the effort...!

This, he would not allow to become reality, the larger Hollow determined.

"_Kuroko," _he finally called out. While Aomine had succumbed to thinking an appropriate answer, the horned Hollow had been observing his face, patiently. He genuinely seemed curious about his answer, and Aomine saw no deception or hidden intention in his piercing blue eye.

He turned to face Kuroko, his first true friend in Hueco Mundo, and they stared at each other for several moments. Dark azure and tan to fair ice and pale, they were two sides of the moon. If Aomine had a heart, he would have heard it beat as time ticked by slowly.

Aomine had then raised a hand and ruffled the soft powder blue hair peeping out from the helmeted Hollow's nape. Kuroko peered up at him, his face transitioning into bemusement at the other Hollow's affectionate action. He had only smiled in return, hoping his friend would interpret the message he was conveying. Aomine was not a person of words.

The one eyed Hollow had continued to observe his smiling face, and after a few moments, he made an expression of satisfaction. Closing his eye with a rare smile, he had brushed off the calloused fingers making a mess of his hair.

"_Unlike me, Aomine-kun, some may not know what you mean with just actions," _he had chided Aomine, attempting to straighten the random strays of hair with little success.

Aomine laughed heartily, enjoying the scene of his normally stoic friend struggling with something as mundane as his own hair.

"_Yeah, I get it. I'm just glad that you understand Kuroko."_

* * *

He and Kuroko had grown closer from that point, many of their memories blending together to form an image of happiness. But the smaller Hollow's question had never truly been forgotten. There was always the matter of whether solitude was an option either could take at anytime.

Aomine wondered if Kuroko would prefer to leave him and make other friends. He partly knew his reiatsu was solely to blame.

As if reading his mind, Kuroko would call his name and smile firmly.

Right now, Aomine needed his best friend's assurance the most.

Looking around, he discovered that the surrounding area was filled with crystallized "trees". There was only one place in Hueco Mundo growing these unique "trees".

The Forest of Menos. It would explain why there were so many of them in one place. The Forest was a popular spot for Menos to feed and evolve.

The place was located _underground_. Aomine had no memory of him and Kuroko traveling into the entrance of the forest of colossal giants. Glancing up toward the caved ceiling, he could faintly spot several dark holes dotting it, revealing specks of moonlight.

They must have fallen through from the surface and crashed to the ground.

How and why he couldn't remember.

A whining sound reverberated in his head as he tried to remember the events before the fall. He faintly felt they were escaping from something he deemed "dangerous".

But now, the tan Hollow was only certain of the alarming sense of foreboding as he compared the state of his body from the fall to the state he imagined of the more fragile one-eyed Hollow.

Aomine made a dash into the forest of quartz and crystal in search for his best friend, tripping and scraping himself as he went. He neither noticed pieces of his Hollow "mask" at his collarbone crack and disintegrate away or the gray feline eyes that followed his silhouette from within the shadows of the ever growing forest.

* * *

A/N:

Really short chapter because I didn't want to prolong the progress of this story any longer. Part 2 in progress.

Also, I'll be needing a Beta reader. So far, all content is proofread by myself, so I'll be glad if anyone would be willing to help!


	4. Primera: Discovery (pt 2)

A/N: Sorry for not updating after so long, it's just that I was away on vacation and I had no access to any document/text program. I had to stick with the traditional paper and pen.

So here's the second (and notably Unbeta'd) part to the previous chapter, with a little surprise at the end.

Any guesses to who they might be? If you're caught up with the teiko arc in the manga, you might just get it right.

* * *

_Kuroko watched from the sidelines as Aomine ran across the court, easily passing by the other players who were desperately attempting to block him. As the tan blue haired man continued to break their defenses, the light haired boy could see the morale of the opposing team drastically deflate. He determined that he would stop the match at that moment to hide their expressions from his light's eyes. He did not need to see this again._

_His light was currently searching for a teammate to pass him the ball, but Kuroko saw that he was the only person on the team. The dark-haired man was a solo player. The smaller person could visibly see the horror dawning on his friend's face. He hoped to distract Aomine from making the realization he would have made from the "first time"._

"Aomine-kun," _he called out. _"Did you forget the reason why you exist right now was you are?"

_The question spilled from his mouth unintentionally, but it had distracted the larger man, if temporarily, as he saw him quickly deem Kuroko's question as unimportant in the face of searching for a ball. He would try again._

"I can tell you the reason why you remain here, in this time and space."

_Aomine raised his dark slim eyebrows and tilted his head in question. "Really? Who are you?" he seemed to be asking. Kuroko remembered he was still hidden in the sidelines and took a step out from the shadows. His friend's eyes rested on his figure but he saw no recognition alight in them. He did not realize who he was. _

"Yes, really, Aomine-kun." _Kuroko felt that there was only a sliver of time remaining, and he did not want to waste it explaining his identity to the jersey-clad man. He opened a pale hand toward his long time friend and he imagined a ball appropriate for the sport he was playing, a round orange object. _

_A fire lit in Aomine's dark azure gaze and he stretched a tan hand to the ball. Seeing that familiar light smoldering in his friend's eyes, the small blue-haired youth had the sudden urge to speak what he had wanted to say to his first light for a long time._

_Fixing his gaze to Aomine's, he noticed his arm was fading and falling apart. The court was also losing its physical structure and was collapsing. He had to make his words short and fast. _

"...unto death, Aomine-kun. After all, we never really had the chance to..."

_Kuroko mouthed words but only managed half of his intended speech before Aomine passed through him and into the concluding darkness._

* * *

He resurfaced from his consciousness slowly, trying to remember the last bits of his dream. There was Aomine, in a dark uniform competing against others with an orange object. Kuroko was also present, speaking to him and attempting to prevent something "bad" from happening.

The drowsiness from his sleep immediately disappeared once he felt the pounding in the side of his head. He discovered bruises and cuts scattered across his body, but no fatal wounds. The only alarming injury he seemed to have had was the constant aching near his head. He carefully reached up to feel the top of his helm, and found a horn had broken off.

No, rather than broken, it seemed to have been _sliced_ off by something (or someone), the stump having felt smooth rather than jagged. It reminded him that he and Aomine were being chased by an unknown creature Aomine had deemed as a threat, and Kuroko believed him. He had never witnessed such a terrified expression cross his tan face before, and he did not wish to see it again, so he obliged when the taller Hollow grabbed his hand and fled.

They had run without stopping until a sinkhole had appeared and swallowed them into the depths of the Forest of Menos. The _thing_ was just on their heels before attempting to behead Kuroko as he fell, resulting in his sliced horn. Before he had blacked out from impact of the long descent, Kuroko could feel the slippery presence of the creature's reiatsu above and the loss of Aomine's clammy hand in his.

He regretted letting go of his large hand, because they were split up in an unfamiliar place filled with colossal Hollows and the dangerous _thing_ still loose somewhere. Kuroko did not want his companion to worry on his behalf, and he could sense Aomine was conscious and currently flustered.

_Tetsu._

The name repeated in his mind in a deep familiar voice, and he knew Aomine was calling, _searching_ for him. This ability of Kuroko's wasn't all that helpful for Aomine, as it was one-sided on his end. He could sometimes see the images Aomine saw, and the thoughts he made, but it wasn't the same for the taller Hollow. Kuroko could locate where the dark-haired Hollow hid when he napped or ran off somewhere, and he always knew about the negative feelings he had. His ability was a selective one, and Aomine wasn't even aware of it.

Right now, Aomine was feeling anxious and was traveling at an alarming speed. He could feel the distance between them grow smaller and the emotions increase in intensity.

_Snap!_

Kuroko whirled his body toward the direction of the sound and winced at the sudden movement, almost forgetting about his injuries. He had been so concentrated on Aomine's mental hysteria that he hadn't noticed something, no, _someone_, approach. It was too late to flee.

A chuckle resembling a growl came from the shadows of a thick crystal trunk, and a creature on all fours emerged. Immediately, the one-eyed Hollow recognized the destructive aura resonating from the animalistic creature as the one chasing them before they had fallen.

"You finally noticed my presence, little gazelle. Figured you were too out of it to put up a fight, so I gave you some time to clear your head," the animal-like Hollow drawled out. "Thank me for my generosity."

It paced back and forth, a predator contemplating its prey before it executed the final blow. The act was very feline, and Kuroko realized the Hollow resembled that of the human world jaguar, a carnivorous big cat of power.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a familiar object, smooth and white, just out of reach. If he could distract the jaguar Hollow, then maybe...

Kuroko steeled his resolve and cleared all expression from his face in preparation for what he was about to do. If his plan worked, then he wouldn't be alone anymore.

He looked into the large feline Hollow's eyes and casually asked, "What is your name?"

It narrowed its gaze to glowing stormy gray slits and they flicked a luminescent green. It opened its jaws to grunt out a response, "My name is Hanamiya...Makoto. Since you were polite enough to ask for my name I'll offer you a deal."

"What kind of deal, Hanamiya-san?" _Keep eye contact with the target. No blinking. Distract target with an impenetrable stare. _

"Well, I was thinking instead of killing you, I would eat a chunk out of you, as a reminder that you were spared by me, your oh so kind king."

_Take a deep breath. Loosen your body in preparation—_

"Of course, I'll be deciding which part to devour. Should I just start dieting and eating a finger? Or get juicy with a thigh?" Hanamiya sent a gluttonous glare his way, and tensed as he witnessed Kuroko disappear right before his eyes.

—_and action. _

The jaguar-esque Hollow roared, swinging his head to try to find his prey amongst the forest when he was in view a moment ago. Kuroko used this time to scoop up his decapitated horn and sneak close. Just as he aimed for an eye, notably, the left eye, he was grabbed by an unknown man in a strange black garb wielding a sheathed weapon. The sight reminded him of the mythical man who came to you at the end of your life, cloaked in darkness and called Death.

Maybe his time here was drawing to a close. Or maybe not.

The man, who looked more youthful upon closer inspection, leaned to whisper ominous words Kuroko would remember to the end of this life.

"I'll save you this time, Kuroko. I'll fulfill our promise."

_This time?_

Before he could think further about the promised vow, he gasped as a blow was delivered to his solar plexus and he collapsed into waiting arms. The last thing he saw before succumbing to unconsciousness was the friendly smile of the blade-wielding youth and having a sense of déjà vu his current scenario has happened once before.

A recurring feeling as of late...

* * *

A/N pt 2:

I hate to end it with Kuroko once again fainting but I scrapped the idea of turning the POV to this mysterious "stranger" and revealing everything so early in the plot. After all, this is a story about Aomine and Kuroko. And yes, this is only just the _beginning_ of their story. So stay tuned for next time!


End file.
